Lyrics
I was standing by my window
On one cold and cloudy day
When I saw that hearse come rolling
For to carry my mother away
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There's a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky
I said to that undertaker
Undertaker please drive slow
For this lady you are carrying
Lord, I hate to see her go
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There's a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky
Oh, I followed close behind her
Tried to hold up and be brave
But I could not hide my sorrow
When they laid her in the grave
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There's a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky
I went back home Lord, my home was lonesome
Missed my mother, she was gone
All of my brothers, sisters crying
What a home so sad and lone
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There's a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There's a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky
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Meaning & Inspiration
Will the Circle Be Unbroken gives voice to grief through the account of a family following a mother to burial. Concrete details—the cloudy day, the slowly moving hearse, the grave, and the lonely home—keep the sorrow immediate. Against that loss, the recurring chorus asks whether broken family fellowship will be restored. Its answer is expressed as hope in a better home with the Lord, not as a denial of mourning.
The song reflects the Christian hope of reunion beyond death that appears in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, where grief is placed beside the promise of resurrection and gathering with the Lord. John 14:2-3 also provides a fitting connection through Christ’s promise of a prepared dwelling and future welcome. The repeated question preserves the tension between present absence and future hope. By returning to the chorus after each scene of bereavement, the lyric allows lament and faith to remain together, offering a plainspoken country-gospel meditation on death, family, and promised life with God.
Related Scripture
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Paul joins grief for the dead with hope of resurrection and reunion with the Lord.
- John 14:2-3 Jesus promises a prepared dwelling and a future welcome into his presence.